Suzy Wandas may not have come into the world with a silver spoon in her mouth (more like a fairground spoon, if we’re being honest).
Born in the back of a fairground wagon in Brussels in 1896, Jeanne Van Dyck’s entrance was about as auspicious as a wet sock. But don’t let that fool you—under the stage name Suzy Wandas, she lit up the male-dominated world of magic like a disco ball at a dodgy pub. An innovative sleight-of-hand artist who crafted her own jaw-dropping techniques, Suzy became the act everyone wanted to see (and for good reason!).
Her journey to fame was a bit of a rollercoaster, filled with hard graft and the kind of poverty that could make a saint weep. But despite the chaos of two world wars and personal heartbreak, Suzy kept climbing up the ladder of success, conquering every stage from fairground theatres to the swankiest variety halls.
The Lady with the Fairy Fingers tells the astonishing true tale of Suzy Wandas, a woman who defied the odds in a world of cultural upheaval, family drama, and a profession that wasn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat for women. It’s also a peek into the history of variety entertainment in the twentieth century, a personal narrative of women’s rights, and a heartfelt tale of love and unadulterated magic.
Hardbound, 204 pages in full colour, featuring a treasure trove of never-before-seen posters, photographs, and bits of ephemera. Limited edition of just 700 copies—so don’t dawdle!
